The Witcher 2 Assassins of Kings

My thoughts on the Witcher 2

A+

Oct 08, 2011 9:12PM PST

So I just beat the Witcher 2 and I must say that it was awesome! By far the best fantasy RPG I have played in a long while. So here is my review.

Story

The Witcher 2 is a direct sequel to The Witcher which came out in 2008. I attempted to play the first witcher but being a console gamer, the mouse and keyboard proved too complicated to me. The fact that I didn't finish the first did not impact my experience with the second. As far as story goes, this is a mature and complicated one. In a nutshell, Geralt of Rivia is falsly labeled an assassin of kings after a king is killed in the first part of the game. When he escapes from prison, he is off to find the true kingslayer and clear his name. What transpires is a tale of political manipulation. It deals with allegiances and betrayal, monarchs, kingdoms at war, assassinations, and friendships. This is truly a RPG for adults. The story kept me invested in this lengthly game and had me completing various sidequest just so that I could get another nugget of background information on a person or location. By the end of the game, I felt that the characters each got what they deserve, for good or ill, and I really hope that this is not the end of Geralt of Rivia.

Graphics

Amazing, Beautiful, Impressive, these are just some of the words that popped into my head as I played this game. The locations that CD Project Red have crafted are some of the best that I have seen. Every location has certain authenticity to it, as if these places really do exist. These places have a history to them. Everyone who plays this game should just take their time and look at the locations for just a moment before they continue on with the story. The character models look great as well. The amount of detail on geralt himself is impressive, with the 2 swords on his back, glistening in the bright sun. The animations of both Geralt and everyone else is equally as impressive. Combat is a joy to watch, even when I'm getting beat up. The texture work is fantastic and the lighting adds a fantastical atmosphere that fits perfectly in this game. Truly eye-candy.

Sound

Great voice work all around. Geralt sounds exactly as I would imagine he sounds. Since the story plays out like a time period epic film and the manner of speech the characters employ, it was imperative that the voice work was done correctly. Mission accomplished. Some of the dialog could of sounded silly if not for the wonderful voice actors that infused their characters with personalities. During cutscenes I would just lay my controller down and watch the events unfold as if I was watching a movie. Sword clangs sounded clear and distinct and the sound of Geralt pulling his sword out of its sheath is not one that I got tired of. Even hearing the sound of my boots on the wooden floor of a pub sounded spot on. This combined with graphics gelled the world into a cohesive whole that flooded my senses and took me to this world and wouldn't let go until I had fulfilled my quest.

Playability

As I stated earlier, I'm no good with the mouse and keyboard, so I used the Xbox controller. The controls worked very well during my playthrough. Combat is no joke in this game. Enemies, any enemies, could prove fatal if you were careless. Keep moving and wait for an opening is the only way to survive confrontations. Using signs (magic) and potions is also an important element to your survival. Concerning potions, you can't down a potion during a fight like other RPG's. You have to enter meditate mode and take a potion then, when you're out of combat. And since potions are by their very nature toxic, you can only take so many at once before you succumb to the toxicity. A meter on your hud measures this. There are a few QTE moments in the game but nothing like God of War. The only real issue I had was the inventory screen. Sometimes it wasn't clear on what I was selecting and it seemed too cluttered. If it was streamlined a bit more, I would honestly have no issue in this department.

Conclusion

A fantastic RPG. One of the best I have ever played. It looks phenominal and sounds fantastic. The story is deep, engaging and mature, definitely not for kids. I can't vouch for how it plays with the mouse and keyboard but the contoller got the job done for me. The inventory screen could have used more work but it doesn't take anything away from the game. If you have a PC and enjoy a great RPG, look no further than the Witcher 2.